The Weeping Bottlebrush is a favorite tree in the Automatic Garden. It is evergreen and a refuge for birds. Its beautiful red brush-like flowers bloom at exactly the right time for the hummingbird migration. It is a perfect tree.

Not this year. Nearly every flower is on the ground. The Weeping Bottlebrush is bare and the hummingbirds aren’t flocking to it.

Why? Look in the center of the photo. It is that rat with the bushy tail. One squirrel started pulling off the flowers and snacking on the forming seeds. Other squirrels thought it was a good idea too. There is nothing more I can say, but y’all know what I’m thinking.